 | Bad structure will kill any screenplay, stopping producers, managers and agents dead in their tracks. But there's a simple technique you can use to never write bad structure again. And today we're going to share that technique with you. |
Why Bad Structure Kills Good Writing
Before we get too deep into how to solve structure problems, let’s take a step back and examine why structure is so important in the first place.
In the real world, life is chaotic. It's difficult to make sense of the twists and turns of our personal narratives and events can feel random or purposeless.
Movies, on the other hand, offer an escape into a new world. On a superficial level, films allow us to explore foreign countries, travel back in time, or live lives we've never dreamed of.
But more importantly, good structure offers an escape from the tumult of the human experience.
There's a logic to movies that does not exist in life.
That logic helps us make sense of the world outside the movie theater, and that's why structure is so important in screenwriting.
Good stories are deliberate and well-planned. Every moment has purpose and meaning, and that helps us find purpose in meaning in our lives outside the theater.
With structure, cause and effect is key. Every beat needs to have a future impact on the story or pay off an earlier scene.
But what is cause and effect, and how can you use it to better your story structure?
In the real world, life is chaotic. It's difficult to make sense of the twists and turns of our personal narratives and events can feel random or purposeless.
Movies, on the other hand, offer an escape into a new world. On a superficial level, films allow us to explore foreign countries, travel back in time, or live lives we've never dreamed of.
But more importantly, good structure offers an escape from the tumult of the human experience.
There's a logic to movies that does not exist in life.
That logic helps us make sense of the world outside the movie theater, and that's why structure is so important in screenwriting.
Good stories are deliberate and well-planned. Every moment has purpose and meaning, and that helps us find purpose in meaning in our lives outside the theater.
With structure, cause and effect is key. Every beat needs to have a future impact on the story or pay off an earlier scene.
But what is cause and effect, and how can you use it to better your story structure?
Here's the Technique You've Been Waiting For
A while back, I found a video of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of South Park) providing writing advice to a group of college students.
I’m a big fan of the show. But that’s beside the point. Love it or hate it, the writing on South Park is tight.
So when these guys talk screenwriting, I listen.
Here's what they had to say...
I’m a big fan of the show. But that’s beside the point. Love it or hate it, the writing on South Park is tight.
So when these guys talk screenwriting, I listen.
Here's what they had to say...
It sounds simple, right?
Every scene in your script should be linked by either 'therefore' or 'but.'
'Therefore' represents a logical progression from one story point to the next.
'But' indicates an unexpected turn of events.
It's perfect.
But this basic rule eludes multitudes of screenwriters every single day.
Parker and Stone go on to caution writers to avoid story that is connected by ‘and then.’
Scenes linked by 'and then' are not born from cause and effect. They are episodic and uninteresting. They will bore your readers.
'Therefore, But' is an easy way to understand cause and effect. It represents a fundamental tenet of screenwriting that every successful screenwriter must grasp in order to succeed.
We use it in our writing and we encourage our clients to use it in theirs.
Commit this concept to memory and your storytelling will improve.
Every scene in your script should be linked by either 'therefore' or 'but.'
'Therefore' represents a logical progression from one story point to the next.
'But' indicates an unexpected turn of events.
It's perfect.
But this basic rule eludes multitudes of screenwriters every single day.
Parker and Stone go on to caution writers to avoid story that is connected by ‘and then.’
Scenes linked by 'and then' are not born from cause and effect. They are episodic and uninteresting. They will bore your readers.
'Therefore, But' is an easy way to understand cause and effect. It represents a fundamental tenet of screenwriting that every successful screenwriter must grasp in order to succeed.
We use it in our writing and we encourage our clients to use it in theirs.
Commit this concept to memory and your storytelling will improve.
Let's See How Apatow Does It
If you look for it, you’ll see this principle at work in all of your favorite movies. After the first ten minutes or so (set up), great movies are all cause and effect.
That’s why you can’t look away, and that’s a big part of why you love them.
To demonstrate this, we’ll use Knocked Up as an example. Here’s what happens after the set up:
1) Seth Rogen has sex with Katherine Heigel and they both move on.
BUT
2) Katherine soon suspects she’s pregnant.
THEREFORE
3) She takes a pregnancy test. Yep. She’s pregnant, and it can only be Seth’s.
THEREFORE
4) She makes contact with Seth and he decides to try and be a stand up guy.
THEREFORE
5) Seth and Katherine start to prepare for the arrival of the baby together. They're getting along.
THEREFORE
6) They spend more time together and Katherine tries to open up to Seth's lifestyle.
BUT
7) Seth's choice to protect a bong instead of Katherine during an earthquake makes Katherine reevaluate her decision to raise a child with him.
THEREFORE
8) Katherine and Seth start to find problems with each other.
And the movie continues on like this until end credits roll. It’s a series of events, their consequences, and the consequences of those consequences.
Flawless cause and effect, as illustrated by the above application of ‘therefore, but.’
Try it with a movie you love. You won’t be disappointed.
That’s why you can’t look away, and that’s a big part of why you love them.
To demonstrate this, we’ll use Knocked Up as an example. Here’s what happens after the set up:
1) Seth Rogen has sex with Katherine Heigel and they both move on.
BUT
2) Katherine soon suspects she’s pregnant.
THEREFORE
3) She takes a pregnancy test. Yep. She’s pregnant, and it can only be Seth’s.
THEREFORE
4) She makes contact with Seth and he decides to try and be a stand up guy.
THEREFORE
5) Seth and Katherine start to prepare for the arrival of the baby together. They're getting along.
THEREFORE
6) They spend more time together and Katherine tries to open up to Seth's lifestyle.
BUT
7) Seth's choice to protect a bong instead of Katherine during an earthquake makes Katherine reevaluate her decision to raise a child with him.
THEREFORE
8) Katherine and Seth start to find problems with each other.
And the movie continues on like this until end credits roll. It’s a series of events, their consequences, and the consequences of those consequences.
Flawless cause and effect, as illustrated by the above application of ‘therefore, but.’
Try it with a movie you love. You won’t be disappointed.
The Power of "Therefore, But"
Do readers criticize your work as being episodic?
Do your stories lack momentum and flow?
Is it difficult for you to define which scenes to keep and which scenes to cut?
With “Therefore, But” your work will never suffer in these ways again, and you’ll have a huge head start over other writers.
Don’t discount the importance of this maxim. It is the simplest, most effective way to improve your screenplay structure, and it must ALWAYS be adhered to.
So Here's What You Do:
In the script you’re working on right now, put every scene under the microscope.
If sequences are bound together with ‘therefore, but’ you’ve got a compelling story, each element interwoven with the next.
But if the connection isn’t clear, you’ve got a problem with your story structure.
Don’t panic. “Therefore, But” will guide you to a strong, cohesive screenplay, one connection at a time.
Do your stories lack momentum and flow?
Is it difficult for you to define which scenes to keep and which scenes to cut?
With “Therefore, But” your work will never suffer in these ways again, and you’ll have a huge head start over other writers.
Don’t discount the importance of this maxim. It is the simplest, most effective way to improve your screenplay structure, and it must ALWAYS be adhered to.
So Here's What You Do:
In the script you’re working on right now, put every scene under the microscope.
If sequences are bound together with ‘therefore, but’ you’ve got a compelling story, each element interwoven with the next.
But if the connection isn’t clear, you’ve got a problem with your story structure.
Don’t panic. “Therefore, But” will guide you to a strong, cohesive screenplay, one connection at a time.
Now What?
What's the ONE thing you learned from this article?
And how do you plan to use it to your advantage?
Leave a comment.
And how do you plan to use it to your advantage?
Leave a comment.